About Us

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Well, I am writing this at 2237 on Tuesday the 13th of August. I am trying to be very aware of my feelings right now. I am getting a chance to do something that most don't do. Make no mistake if it wasn't for having a very very understanding wife and some great kids, I wouldn't be in the middle of the Strait of Juan de Fuca writing this. Yesterday was a big day and I tried to soak it in. It was like the first day of summer break back in elementary school. You just knew that it was going to be over sooo fast.
Jugurtha is on watch at the moment and we are headed to Neah Bay. We left Port Townsend at the crack of noon and have been motoring since. No wind to speak of. This is better than what has been going on though. During the past couple weeks they have had 35 knots of west wind tearing down the Strait with big waves. Nah. I'll take this. Flat water and motoring at 8 knots.
Neah Bay is one of those areas that most NW sailors know about. They wait for a good weather window and then jam on down the coast to San Fran or San Diego. That is exactly what we are going to do. The crew is going to meet us tomorrow around 1400 or so. Load the boat, go over safety stuff and then eat. After that we'll hang out and talk weather. Friday morning, if the Gods see fit, we'll flash up the motor and poke Appa's nose out into the Pacific Ocean. I can't wait for that blue water.
We left Shileshole on Monday the 12th under bright, beautiful skies. Had a lot of running around to do so we didn't push off the dock till around 1300 or so. Got in to PT at 1945 after an uneventful day of motoring. Met up with Pete and Rachelle off of Non Sequitur and had dinner. I made chili and they did fish and veggies. Damn good but then food always tastes better on a boat.
This morning we did some boat projects and then walked to West Marine to get some line. It appears that my rigging bag decided that it did not want to come along and is nowhere to be seen. Grrr.
So boat projects. Jugurtha wired the aft cabin reading light up correctly so when the deck lights are on, the reading light does not also come on (love French wiring). Ran the checkstays up the mast. Taped up the area where the mast goes down into the cabin. Sewed the strope on the mainsail. Various other jobs. Nice day.
Tomorrow we will rig the lee clothes in the main cabin and get fuel. That is about it.
I wish I could add some photos from today. Google is not updating my photo account with the photos that I took today. So here are a couple of other ones.
More photos when Google decides to release them.

Samey keeping the windows clean.

Pressure gauge for the fuel system

Trying to use some dead space in the boat lockers

My good friend Chris helping out by staying at the top of the mast for about one hour while I royally screwed up the wind indicator.